Previous meetings• There was nothing to choose between the two sides when they went head to head for the first time on matchday one, drawing 0-0 in Istanbul.

• Turkish clubs are unbeaten in 11 UEFA matches with Bulgarian opponents since the turn of the millennium: W7 D4 (W2 D3 away).

Form guide• Ludogorets are undefeated in seven European outings (W4 D3) and have not lost any of their five home UEFA encounters this term (W4 D1).

• The Razgrad outfit have never lost a UEFA Europa League group stage match, winning seven of their ten fixtures and drawing the other three.

• Last term's Turkish Süper Lig runners-up, İstanbul Başakşehir are yet to prevail in a UEFA away fixture (D3 L4) and have won only one of their 14 matches in total, 2-0 at home to Club Brugge in this season's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.

• Bulgarian champions for the past six seasons, Ludogorets reached the round of 16 in their only previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaign (2013/14); they also played in last season's round of 32 after transferring from the UEFA Champions League.

• Beaten by Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, İstanbul Başakşehir are making their UEFA group stage debut this season.

The coaches• Hired in the summer of 2017, Ludogorets boss Dimitar Dimitrov established his coaching credentials at home-town club Neftochimik Burgas and landed Bulgarian titles with Litex Lovech and Levski Sofia, later coaching in Russia and Kazakhstan.

• Abdullah Avcı led Turkey to success in the 2005 UEFA European Under-17 Championship before taking the Başakşehir reins for the first time from 2006–11. He returned to the club in 2014 following an unsuccessful stint as Turkey boss.